Thread by @YvetteCooperMP

Serious & troubling letters from @PoliceChiefs & @NCA_UK to @CommonsHomeAffs on preparations for 1 Jan, outlining the security downgrade if no negotiated agreement, inc impact on public protection, serious crime & counter terror
committees.parliament.uk/publications/3…

committees.parliament.uk/publications/3…

Police & border force check SIS2 criminal database 600m of times a yr. @PoliceChiefs says loss has “major operational impact.” The fallback is to use Interpol but that requires manual data entry & includes far fewer people & objects - “it will be slower & lack capability”

On overseas criminal records, if we lose access to the ECRIS database @PoliceChiefs warn that it will take much longer to check records (up from 6 days to 66 days) “impacting on public protection”

On Passenger Name Records, @PoliceChiefs say “an inability to access PNR would have a major impact for counter terrorism and serious and organised crime related matters’”

On Europol, if no agreement, @NCA_UK say “the potential loss of access to Europol.. is the area we are most concerned about from a serious organised crime perspective.. the multilateral coordination & specialist analytical services can’t be replicated thru bilateral channels”

Prum covers automated searching of DNA & fingerprints. @PoliceChiefs say “it’s loss will have a major operational impact ... the UK has had over 12000 hits on DNA searched against 11 countries” They warn there’s no alternative if no deal & wd have to revert to manual requests

On the European Arrest Warrant they hope a negotiated agreement will deliver a version of the Norway/Iceland agreement tho they warn that without SIS2 it will still be “slower & more bureaucratic.” If there’s no agreement then we’re back to the v slow 1957 Extradition Convention

It is impossible to read these letters and then make any sense at all of Michael Gove’s claim a few weeks ago that we will somehow be able to “intensify security” in the event of no agreement. Theresa May’s face says it all.

Significant - & troubling - that the police now expect that there will be a downgrade in our security capability even if there is an agreement (eg loss of access to SIS2 which is used at border & on street). And contrary to Ministers, they are clear no agreement wd be much worse.

UK & EU face shared threats from cross border crime, terrorism, trafficking - it is in both sides interests for police to be able to get on with job of keeping us all safe. Govt should be honest about the security risks & make sure they get a strong security agreement in place